Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Evan was beyond irked at the continuous nagging and telling time like a speaking clock. Why had she always been given 10 minutes or twelve seconds? She fumed and her eyes narrowed as she stomped her feet towards the door and scolded the knight in a fuming voice.

"If you were in so much hurry, then you should have come to wake me up earlier!!!" but before she could speak further, her soul left her body. She became frozen by looking at the man who was standing in front of her. Why was this iceberg here? Was it because she was a minute late? Was he going to take back the promise of rewards again?

"My lor.."

"You are not presentable at all!!" 

"......." did he come here to insult her early in the morning? Why did she feel like it had become his favorite pastime? If he had nothing to do, he would come and insult her and torment her by giving her orders. And if she did not complete them, he did not feel an ounce of embarrassment in threatening her with rewards. 

She wanted to shout 'to hell with your rewards and to hell with you!!' but she could not because of the sick rule of patriarchal society where she was left with nothing. Rewards were the only straw she could hold to start her life again!

Leo was leaning on the door when he turned to look at her. With a hand in his pocket and an arbitrary pose, he was looking so domineering that she did not have the courage to even speak a word against him. Yet all the ladies were looking at him with hearts in their eyes! His dominance only increased his charm and sexiness. He was like a god of beauty for them. 

He took a slow step towards her and she instinctively took two steps back. But this was not enough for him to stop coming closer to her. He frowned looking at her terrified face. Did he look so scary to her? Why did she not feel mesmerized while looking at him like other noble ladies? Just look at the other ladies who were looking at her with a gaze full of admiration. while all she looked at him as if he was a pest or a beast!?

He decided to smile at her to make her feel better. But Evan only felt terrified looking at him smirking. It was the same smirk the devil would give her before taking her soul away.

He frowned and his gaze turned icier when she looked more terrified of him.

"Umm, aren't we being late for breakfast? We shall go!" she suggested with the most calm voice she could muster. But her body was leaving in cold sweat. She did not understand why he was looking like that to her. Was he finally going to kill her to take his revenge?

That was when he remembered why he was here in the first place.

"You need to be prepared for the breakfast today. It is more important that the party you had attended before. Aunt is the matriarch of the family and she would have the final say in every decision taken in the palace!

'Then would it not be good if she would dislike her more? Why did he want her to learn and dress in a well manner to impress the lady when all he wanted was her to be thrown out of the palace. Recently she had felt that he had lost his screw as all his actions were against their goals. And before she could say anything, he looked back towards the door and three ladies bowed their heads and entered.

"Good morning, my lady!" They greeted Evan respectfully who only nodded in confusion as she did not understand why they were here. Looking at their clothes, they were not the staff of the palace but some rich or noble ladies.

"We are here to make you presentable. Will you please sit here?" asked the first lady with a respectable smile on her face. Evan looked at her dress. She had worn it a few times before and she was sure it looked good on her. She only needs to make a bun and that would be fine. 

But looking at the brooding face of the man, she nodded her head and sat on the chair obediently.

But soon she regretted it. One lady held her hair in a tight grip, the other started applying so many things on her face she had never seen before and the third one started throwing dresses from her wardrobe on the bed.

She wanted to stand and scold the lady for throwing her clothes like that but the lady who was holding her hair, held her shoulder and pressed her back on the seat. 

"Do not move, my lady and if possible close your eyes!!" she shook her head and tried to stand up again but this time it was the iceberg who had passed a chilly gaze on her.

She glared back at him this time! He could not boss her like that over everything.

"I think I am looking just fine! So, let me go." she said to the other two ladies who looked at Leo hesitatingly. But instead of being angry, the man had a smile on his face which turned blind to all three ladies. They looked at him awestruck. They even forgot to hold Evan for a second but it did not work the same on Evan who felt like a devil was laughing before killing her.

Leo leaned on the wall near the dining table nonchalantly as he passed a gaze on her half done hair and face. His one hand was inside the pocket when he spoke in a baritone.

"You know I am paying 100 coins every hour to them for your reward. If you consumed more of theirs.. Will you go in a negative balance?"

'.........."